Aid Groups Move to Rice, Other Help in Philippines

Expanded Relief Efforts Are One Sign the Country Is Making Progress in Recovery

When Typhoon Haiyan first hit, Oxfam International distributed plastic tarpaulins to address the immediate need for shelter in the Philippines. Six weeks later, the group is tackling a longer-term challenge—restoring damaged rice paddies.

In the Philippines' hard-hit Leyte province, Oxfam recently handed out 400 tons of rice seed to thousands of farmers whose fields had been destroyed by the storm. The seed needs to go in the ground this month for the rice to be harvested in the spring.